Concubine Kai

Lady Kai (1562-1615) was the daughter of Ujinaga Narita and was the concubine of Hideyoshi Hashiba. She was known to be a female samurai, fighting at the Battle of Tonegawa in 1570 and the Osaka Campaign in 1615.

Biography
Lady Kai was born in Oshi Castle, Sagami, to Hojo clan retainer Ujinaga Narita. She was known to be masculine, and wielded a sword on some occasions, her first battle being Tonegawa against the Uesugi clan. She continued fighting in many of the Hojo clan's major battles, and brandished her sword-whip in battle at Oshi Castle in 1590 when her homeland was invaded by the Toyotomi. During the battle, she led a charge with 200 riders and slew a Sanada retainer, and also destroyed the embankments to cause a flood attack. She surrendered alongside her father when news arrived that the garrison of Odawara Castle surrendered, and she became a concubine of Hideyoshi Hashiba. In 1591, she crushed the Kasai-Osaki Uprising in Miyagi Province, routing the Peasant Army of Harunobu Kasai and Yoshitaka Osaki in battle. In 1598, her lover died and she resided in Osaka Castle while fighting over his succession raged on. Only in 1615, when the last of the Toyotomi clan marshalled up resistance in the castle, did she fight once more. A 53 year-old woman, she still had the strength to fight, and died in battle along with the last of the Toyotomi.